Defenseman Murphy could be an option for Bruins

Ryan Murphy is one of the more dynamic players at any position
in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, and based on some projections he could
be on the board when the Boston Bruins pick at No. 9.

The Bruins’ Stanley Cup hangover may be lingering in some
areas, but for the team’s amateur scouting staff, the work
they have done all season will come to fruition this weekend in St.
Paul, Minn.

The Stanley Cup champions have two uncharacteristically high
picks in the draft by virtue of trades with Toronto and Minnesota,
and that first-round selection in the top-10 could net a player
like Murphy if things break right.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound rearguard is one of the best pure
skaters in the draft and has elite puck-handling and shooting
skills. Reminiscent of former NHL defenseman Phil Housley, Murphy
can both rush the puck and pass it with extraordinary
effectiveness.

“I’m a smaller defenseman, so there’s
obviously a big question about my strength,” said Murphy,
after he finished the fitness testing at the NHL scouting combine
earlier this month. “I wanted to go in here and do my best at
everything. I did that and have no regrets and hopefully I did
enough.”

For Murphy, the combine itself was a memorable experience, the
culmination of a successful 2010-11 campaign for him. Playing for
the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, Murphy finished second in scoring
to overager (and 2009 Nashville first-rounder) Ryan Ellis among
defensemen with 26 goals and 79 points, a remarkable scoring
performance for a player who didn’t turn 18 until the end of
the regular season.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I got to hang
out with a lot of my buddies. For the most part we were on our own.
I thought that was pretty cool -- we got to go out for dinner with
all the guys and got to know some new people, so it was a really
fun week and I’m going to remember it for a long
time.”

During the whirlwind week of interviews with 23 of 30 NHL teams
and the fitness testing, Murphy had a little time to reflect on the
experience and was looking forward to some additional time with
clubs who invited him to their cities for more interviews and
testing.

For an NHL draft prospect, the last couple of weeks are some of
the most exciting, as they get to see the inside of several
organizations and get a quick introduction to how things run in pro
hockey.

“I know there’s a couple of teams I’m going to
do some extra workouts with,” he said. “I’m going
to fly down to a couple of places, but that’s about
it.”

Murphy confirmed that New Jersey, which holds the fourth overall
pick by virtue of winning the draft lottery, was one of the places
he was bound for. He also reportedly visited Boston and met with
the team before the combine as well.

Even with Murphy’s impressive individual achievements this
year, the collective and team success eluded him.

Murphy’s favored Rangers were upset by the Plymouth
Whalers in the OHL postseason’s opening round, but the native
of Aurora, Ont., played well in the series, earning praise from NHL
scouts in attendance.

“I thought he looked like a top-five pick at times,”
said one Ontario-based NHL scout. “He was improved
defensively, but he also brought that speed and game-breaking
element he’s most noted for. He helped himself
there.”

The early playoff exit meant that Murphy flew over to Germany to
join Team Canada in the World Under-18 Championship tournament.
Canada lost a heartbreaker to eventual champion Team USA in the
semifinals, coming back from a 4-1 deficit in the third period only
to lose the game in sudden death on a Tyler Biggs strike.

Canada then lost the bronze medal game to Russia, ending a
promising early tourney performance in disappointment.

“It was a disappointing tournament; we finished
fourth,” Murphy said. “I thought we were right there
with the other teams. The Americans, we lost in overtime. The
Swedes, we took them to the very end and also the Russians, we took
to the very end. I thought we had a really good team. (But) we came
up short in the end.”

Murphy led his team in scoring from the blue line, registering a
Canada-record 13 points in just seven games.

“Personally, I thought I had a good tournament,” he
said. “I put up some points (and) I played well defensively,
so I’m happy with my game.”

Even with the offensive success and the steady improvements in
his overall game since breaking into the OHL a year ago, Murphy is
aware of his shortcomings and what could prevent him from having
the same kind of success at the NHL level.

“I think there’s a lot to work on,” Murphy
said. “I’m the same as any player here. We’re not
all perfect. We all have our faults in our games, so I’m
going to have to work on my strength, obviously to excel at the
next level, and I’m going to have to work on my defensive
zone coverage.”

Because Murphy was often the best player on his minor teams
before reaching major junior, he was often left to his own devices
to attack the other team with his tremendous wheels and puck
skills. As a result, his defensive awareness was lacking, but he
spent a lot of time this season addressing his positional play.

“This year I worked a lot with my coaches,” he said.
“I went from being a minus player my first year to a plus-23,
so that was a huge jump for me. My coaches trusted me on the ice
during penalty kills. They played me in 5-on-5 situations and
4-on-4 situations, so they trusted me in the defensive zone and
hopefully my next team can, too.”

If some scouts are a little unsure whether Murphy can be a
reliable rotational defender, and not just a power play specialist
in the NHL, Kitchener GM and head coach Steve Spott feels his
charge is a star-in-waiting.

“He absolutely can be a top-pairing defenseman, 100
percent,” Spott said. “He’s intelligent,
hard-working and is proving himself every day.”

Murphy heard the questions come up about his defensive acumen
during the many interviews he conducted and just tried to be as
forthright as possible.

“For the most part they know what I can do,” he
said. “The offense isn’t the question mark for me;
it’s the defense. Their question is, ‘Can I play
defense at the next level?’ My answer was ‘Yes, I can
play defense at the next level’ and I’m just looking
forward to the opportunity.”